What to Expect When Taking a Pet Wellness Exam

A wellness exam aims to give your pet a complete checkup and ensure good health. There aren’t many things more worrying than a sick pet who needs your attention, especially if you don’t know what to do to help. There are at least two benefits to giving your pet a yearly wellness checkup: problem detection and prevention.

In addition to prevention and early intervention, a wellness examination is beneficial for behavioral reasons. Pets are designed by nature to hide their pain and illness, making it difficult to know when they’re ill. The following things are included in routine wellness exams at the animal clinic:

Pet Wellness Exams Procedures

Many pet owners take their pets to the vet every six months or once a year to make sure they are healthy. Maintaining a pet’s health and well-being is much easier when they get regular checkups. If you’re not updated with your pet’s wellness exams, here’s what you can expect and why it’s important to do so.

Routine Interview

During a cat and dog routine checkup, be ready to answer some queries that will help in your pet’s routine examination. You can expect questions concerning current changes in your pet’s weight, appetite, drinking habits, respiratory health, urination, and bowel habits. If your pet is a senior, your veterinarian may also inquire about scratching, panting, range of motion, and balance.

Taking Your Pet’s Vital Signs

Your pet’s vital signs, including its heart rate, respiratory rate, weight, and temperature, will be taken as it lies down on the exam table or is held by your veterinarian. After that, your veterinarian will compare the readings to your pet’s medical history.

Any changes in your pet’s vital signs may indicate a health problem that requires treatment. The changes will also help your veterinarian determine which diagnostic tests your pet implies during the checkup or in the future.

Pet Examination

The first step of the exam is for the veterinarian to examine your pet’s oral cavity, eyes, and ears. Your veterinarian should examine these areas to see if there are any symptoms. Expect your vet to check your pet’s joints, legs, feet, and abdomen for any painful or swollen areas. Veterinarians will also examine your pet’s reproductive organs. The heart and lungs of your pet are also examined by the veterinarian using a stethoscope. Click this link for more information.

Vaccinations

Your vet will usually update your pet’s vaccinations during a wellness exam. Vaccinations will help to boost your pet’s immunity. This will keep your pet healthy and reduce the risk of contagious disease spreading. Your pet requires vaccinations against Lyme disease, rabies, distemper, chlamydia, feline leukemia, and hepatitis.

Health Screening

The diagnostic tests your vet uses on your pet will depend on the animal’s age and current health. Basic screenings include biochemistry, complete blood count, heartworm testing, urinalysis, X-rays, and fecal parasite testing.

Diagnostic testing is used to evaluate the internal elements of your pet to detect disease early or to confirm suspected diagnoses based on symptoms that your pet has been displaying. Learn more about veterinary internal medicine conditions.

Conclusion

Your furry family member will love their home more if you keep them happy and healthy. Wellness examinations are recommended for all pets, even those that seem perfectly fine at first glance. The purpose of the examination is not to examine a sick animal but to keep the animal healthy.x

The wellness examination is also known as a physical exam or checkup. You should schedule a vet visit before your pet is sick. A wellness exam’s purpose is to ensure that the pet’s optimal health is maintained.